Does Generosity Lead To Success?

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.” “Every man for himself.” “If you want to make it, you need to step on whoever you can to get to the top.” There are people who go by these mantras and have managed to remain successful. If you went by these mantras (and supposedly you have a conscience), […]

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.” “Every man for himself.” “If you want to make it, you need to step on whoever you can to get to the top.” There are people who go by these mantras and have managed to remain successful. If you went by these mantras (and supposedly you have a conscience), would you be happy?

Being successful definitely means putting in a lot of hard work, being persistent, prioritizing, and learning to say “no” to certain commitments and opportunities that are not on your to-do list. There is also a special part that a lot of people don’t know they need to be in order to have success: generous.

We have all heard the saying, “The more you give, the more you receive.” Studies show that giving (of yourself, your time, your money) leads to greater well-being and happiness. When we donate to any charity, it feels good, doesn’t it? We help people become better. Whether it is donating work clothes, or giving food, or spending the day at an orphanage, we get some sort of life satisfaction from it. Eventually, our social interactions and networking improve, we become more productive at work, leading to greater wealth as a result.

Look at famous people who are more successful because they give:
– Bill Gates: The co-founder of Microsoft made a living making the world’s largest PC software company. He has been on the Forbes list of wealthiest people since 1987. With his money, he and his wife started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a foundation that enhances healthcare and reduces extreme poverty.
– Mark Zuckerberg: The founder of Facebook, worth $46 billion, has pledged to give 99% of their Facebook shares to healthcare and education improvement organization called the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Zuckerberg, along with Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and other wealthy people all over the world, have signed a commitment to donate at least half of their wealth over the course of time to charity.

It’s the little things we can do to help people that can have a positive effect on our lives. Do you have a friend has a job interview? Give them interview tips. Are you going to lunch with a friend? Pick up the bill. It’s not always about achievement and numbers, sometimes it’s about the human side and your core values.

Do you agree that generosity leads to success? Let us know in the comments.